Minister joins Satyagraha demanding closure of liquor shop in Homagama

By Buddhika Kumarasiri   

Minister of Transport and Mass Media Bandula Gunawardana said he would strongly protest against the foreign liquor shop opened recently at Pitipana in Homagama town and that he was prepared to forego his position as a minister and a parliamentarian if the liquor shop was not closed within a week.  

 Minister who joined the Satyagraha campaign on Wednesday afternoon (17) at Pitipana, staged by the public including the Mahasangha demanding the immediate closure of the liquor shop, stressed that he considered the dignity and the wellbeing of the people in Homagama area as more important than his posts.  

 He pointed out opening of liquor shops in Homagama town had not been allowed since long and that the Homagama Divisional Secretary had taken an arbitrary decision to permit the opening of a liquor shop for the first time. He said he had informed the relevant authorities repeatedly not to permit anyone to open a liquor shop in Homagama town.  

 He said that Pitipana area was the seat of several educational institutes, including the Buddhist and Pali University and other universities attended by tens of thousands of students daily.  

The minister further said action should be taken against the officers taking arbitrary decisions and undermine public opinion,